Rock Bottom (Fall and Rise of the Condor 3)
by jublke
Summary: After implant surgery and a nasty fall, Jason must pass a fitness exam to be reinstated to the G-Force team. Will he make the cut? Third in the Fall and Rise of the Condor series. AU, set after the end of the show. Rated T for the occasional swear word.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: This is a work of fan-fiction. _Battle of the Planets_ is the property of Sandy Frank by way of Tatsunoko. No profit was gained by writing this story.

My deep appreciation to cathrl and Becky for beta-reading numerous drafts of this story. I'd also like to thank the members of Bird Scramble and the BotP mailing list who commented on early versions. Any remaining errors are mine.

This story is set several months after _Strike at Spectra_. It is the third story in my _Fall and Rise of the Condor_ series and directly follows _Rebuilding_. My thanks to Springie for the avatar of Jason in glasses.

Heavy angst ahead ...

* * *

They were more than halfway up the cliffs when Keyop realized that it wasn't going to work. Jason had started the trip strong despite his injured ankle, limping up the trail using the makeshift crutch and Keyop's shoulder for support. Keyop had dared then to hope that they might actually make it home within the hour - before the team left for the briefing - with enough time to invent an airtight story to explain both Jason's injury and Keyop's absence.

Now, however, well into the second hour, their pace had slowed to a crawl. Jason was in no condition to perfect their story or to discuss anything else. The two crossed into the upper half of the trail at sundown.

It was a glorious sunset, filling the sky with streaks of muted reds and purples, but Keyop scarcely noticed. As the light faded, dusk began to creep from the shadows. Keyop shivered, wishing, not for the first time, that he had worn a jacket.

Far more troubling was Jason's condition. During the hike, his teammate's breathing had steadily grown more labored. Jason's face, once red with exertion, now looked pale. Keyop was starting to suspect that Jason's injury might be more serious than a simple sprain. He spied a large flat rock ahead and steered Jason toward it.

"Few more steps," he encouraged.

Keyop thought he detected a slight nod from Jason but it was hard to tell. His injured teammate nearly stumbled again. Keyop had to hold him tight to keep him upright.

 _I should call Mark for help. But Jason's finally talking to me. I don't want him to shut me out again._

After injuring his ankle that afternoon, Jason had finally admitted to Keyop what the boy had suspected for weeks. Jason did have a problem – a serious one – his balance just wasn't the same since his implant surgery. And Keyop had promised to keep Jason's secret, agreeing to help him train for the aerials portion of his yearly fitness exam, the exam Jason would have to pass before he would be allowed back on the team. Keyop was finding that his loyalties shifted in rapid succession as he swung mentally from little brother to the Swallow and back.

 _Jason finally asked for my help. He never asks for help. And he made me promise not to tell … but I owe it to the team to tell them. Especially Mark. What if Jason's newly repaired implant is damaged, too? … but the Chief did give him a clean bill of health. Jason says he can handle it. It's all part of the recovery. He just needs more time to train. And he wants me to train him. I know I can do it … I hope I can do it … but what if I can't? What if he can't?_

As soon as they got to the rock, Jason sat down and dropped his head in his lap, panting. Keyop took his pulse, which was far too rapid, and put a hand on Jason's forehead.

"That's it," Keyop declared.

Jason raised his eyes to look at Keyop. He was gasping too hard to speak.

"No more," Keyop shook his head. "Either … urp … doot … I carry you out … or we call for help."

The look of sheer frustration emanating from Jason was more petulant child than older brother. Jason struggled to stand, but Keyop pushed him back down.

"No," Keyop said firmly. "Not going."

Jason glared at Keyop and started to rise again. "I … can … do … this," he rasped.

Keyop grabbed Jason by the shoulders and sat him down, hard.

"You … dehydrated. Can't risk … shock." Keyop stood tall and shook his head at Jason. "You … erp … doop … do too much … might collapse."

Jason gave Keyop a weary look and closed his eyes.

"All right," he panted, falling back on the rock, chest heaving. Jason's utter exhaustion worried Keyop further.

 _He isn't up to this_ , Keyop realized. _I keep expecting him to be as strong as before. But he's not_. Keyop tried to hold the next thought at bay, but it entered his mind anyway. _And he might never be again._

Keyop shook his head. _If I had known what was going on … I wouldn't have tried to get Jason to chase me. I'm so stupid!_

Echoes of his own laughter haunted Keyop now. He had been teasing Jason earlier when he jumped off of a cliff, taunting the older boy to follow him. As soon as his teammate came after him, Keyop had realized that Jason was in trouble. _The look on his face …_

 _At least I was there to catch him. Almost_. Looking at Jason's swollen ankle, Keyop felt nauseous on his behalf.

 _I know how weak he is now. I shouldn't have let him talk me into this. He can't walk out. He shouldn't be walking on that ankle at all._ With that thought came another, more disturbing thought. _He could have gotten himself killed._

Keyop looked at Jason, still spent, collapsed in a heap on the rock. _I should talk to Mark. But I can't break Jason's trust. What am I going to do?_

He rifled through Jason's backpack in desperation and handed his teammate the last of the water and the only glucose tablet in the first aid kit. Jason took both without comment and lay back down.

As the deep gray of dusk pushed toward night, Keyop sat alone with his thoughts, watching the first evening star dot the sky. Jason's situation was serious, but not critical. When did you cross that line? Before Keyop could give the question much thought, Jason raised his head.

"Now what?" he asked his younger teammate. Jason's voice was surprisingly clear.

"I carry you out," said Keyop. He tried to sound more optimistic than he felt. "Not far." Keyop looked up at the remaining length of trail. He could manage, but it would take time.

Jason shook his head. "No."

Keyop was sure that he had misheard him. "What?"

Jason swallowed, looked up, and locked eyes with Keyop. He spoke in an even firmer tone.

"You're not carrying me out." His voice was steady. "I'll call Mark."

"You … sure?" Keyop asked.

Jason nodded. It looked like Jason was fighting the urge to throw up.

"Go on home," Jason said. "Pretend this never happened." Keyop noticed then that Jason still sounded winded. "I'll think of something."

Keyop heard the desperation beneath the words. He shook his head at Jason. "Not leaving."

Jason struggled to give Keyop a proper Condor glare. "Whatever."

Keyop crossed his arms defiantly.

"G-2 to G-1, acknowledge," Jason's voice was faint but steady.

"G-1 here. Glad you finally decided to check in. We were about to send out a search party. Our briefing just got out. Man, it was long. You're lucky you didn't have to attend. It was boring as hell. Is Keyop with you, by any chance?"

Jason ignored the question. "I need you to pick me up. Now." It was a command.

There was a moment of silence on the other side. Jason was known to grouse about being second-in-command. On the rare occasion, he was even insubordinate. But he never bossed Mark around. Even over the wrist communicator, Keyop could hear both astonishment and trepidation when Mark replied.

"Uh, okay. We're just … finishing up. Where are you? Are you okay?"

Jason hit the faceplate of his bracelet, activating the Bird Scramble.

"I'm at Black Cliffs. I fell rock climbing and …" Jason paused. His breathing was growing more labored the longer he spoke. "I … hurt my ankle. Think I broke it. Tell the Chief … I might need him to reset it," he added, in a tone both weary and resigned.

There was a pause in the conversation, then Mark's voice. "All right. The Chief's heading to the local clinic now with Princess. They'll clear the place out and secure it. Don't worry." Mark was back in command mode.

Jason continued as if Mark hadn't spoken. "You can drive as far as …" he winced before continuing, "Wood Hollow Road. But you'll need to …"

"Got it, Jason. Tiny and I will pick up a stretcher first and then we're on our way," Mark said and clicked off.

Keyop closed his eyes. _Broken? Reset? Jason didn't tell me … What else is he not telling me?_

Now that Jason's brief conversation with Mark was over, he turned on Keyop.

"Go home," Jason hissed, crossing his arms.

Keyop held his ground. "Can't." He folded his arms in return and added a glare.

"I don't want you here."

The Condor could sound menacing when he tried – and he was trying hard now – but the events of that afternoon had taught Keyop something important. If you knew where to look, you could break through Jason's posturing. This time, Keyop could hear genuine fear beneath the bravado.

 _He's scared_ , Keyop realized. _He's scared and he doesn't want me to know_. Keyop puffed out his chest. _Well, too bad, Jason, you're stuck with me now. You almost died during our strike at Spectra. You might have the Chief fooled that surgery fixed your implant, but I know better. Something's wrong with your balance and you can't fly right. And now you have a broken ankle. You're hurt and afraid. Well, this time, I'm not letting you go through it alone._

"Not leaving." Keyop folded his arms and sat down on the ground.

"Damn it, Keyop," Jason said, his voice rising in desperation. "Why are you doing this? How are we going to explain why you're here? Mark's used to me lying to him. He's going to kick your ass for not calling him sooner."

Keyop glared at Jason. "I … can deal … with Mark."

Jason turned away from Keyop and laughed mirthlessly. "You can't lie your way out of a paper bag." He breathed heavily. "What're you going to say … that you were off with a girl?" Jason coughed and spat.

Keyop shrugged and gave Jason a hard look. When he spoke next, his stutter was noticeably absent.

"I'm not leaving you here alone."


	2. Chapter 2

Mark strode briskly down the trail in the dark, thankful for his enhanced vision. Tiny trotted close at his heels, stretcher in hand. It wasn't long before they found Keyop, standing over Jason in guard-like posture. Mark's stride faltered when he saw his second. Even under the dull glow of starlight, he could tell that Jason belonged back in the hospital. His stomach clenched.

Tiny ran ahead, knelt before Jason, and dropped the stretcher and a medical kit in front of him. Murmuring soothing words that Mark couldn't quite decipher, the big man gently placed one hand over Jason's wrist and threw his other arm across Jason's forehead.

"What happened to you?" Mark knelt down before Jason too, at once taking in his pallor, glazed eyes, and taped, swollen ankle. He shot Keyop a questioning glance.

Jason started to answer, but Keyop interrupted. "Fell rock climbing. I … found him … just now."

Knowing that his injured teammate was in good hands with the Owl, Mark's mind quickly jumped to the insubordinate Swallow. His anger flashed to the surface so quickly that he couldn't keep it in check.

"Really?" Mark turned away from Jason and Tiny and stood to face Keyop. His posture was pure Eagle. "Right here? In the dark?" Mark gave Keyop a hard glare. "This is an odd place for rock climbing. No rocks on this cat track."

Keyop shrugged and returned Mark's stare. His defiance was unsettling. Mark tried to ignore the headache that was starting to form. _Damn it._

"Now over there," he continued, his voice artificially low-key, "now there's a good place for rock climbing." Mark pointed down the trail at the moonlight glinting off the exposed crags of Black Cliffs.

Keyop looked at his feet and didn't say anything. Mark leaned over and picked up Jason's makeshift crutch, never taking his eyes off Keyop.

"And this is a nice walking stick. Convenient that Jason fell by a tree. Especially when the only trees around here are on top of that cliff over there." Mark used the crutch to point to the jagged rocks on top. Then, in one smooth gesture, he threw the stick like a javelin. The long branch arced over their heads and plummeted into the sea.

"Leave the kid alone, Mark," Jason said, but his words carried little weight. Tiny patted the injured man on the shoulder, handed him a rehydration drink, and encouraged him to sip it slowly.

"I was … with a girl," Keyop stammered. Jason snorted derisively in the background.

Mark started to ball his fists. He took a deep breath and attempted to rein in his temper. When he spoke, his words were deliberately calm. "I don't know why, but you are lying to me. You were here with Jason when I called. That's why you didn't come to the meeting. And why I found your bike at the top of the cliffs." Mark's anger built steam. "What were you thinking, Keyop, trying to walk him out of here? Look at him! He can't even stand."

"Hey," Jason interrupted. "Just talk about me like I'm not even here." His breathing grew more labored. "Don't chew the kid out … on my behalf. He had nothing … to do with it."

As Jason panted, Tiny locked eyes with Mark and shook his head. Mark heard the unspoken message: _Don't push it. Not now._

Mark took a good look at Jason. His second was glaring directly at him, venom in his eyes, but Mark could tell that his heart just wasn't in it. He had seen that haunted look from Jason just once before, at the hospital on the night before his implant surgery.

 _Damn._

Mark's head began to throb. _Not again_ , he thought. _I can't go through this again. Not now_.

He tried to bite back his frustration at Jason, but the words spilled out anyway. "And what in God's name were you doing out here, anyway?!"

Jason shrugged. "Hiking."

Mark's facial muscles started to twitch. He could feel his fingers clenching again. Tiny quickly pulled him aside.

"Commander," Tiny spoke with the authority of a medic. "We need to go. Jason's feverish. His pulse is high and thready and he needs to be properly rehydrated." In a low voice, he added, "And you need to calm down."

Mark nodded. "All right," he said. As he took a deep breath, he wondered exactly how much Tiny knew about his recent bouts with headaches.

He returned his glare to Keyop. The little boy was no longer shaking in his shoes. The expression on his young teammate's face was one of sheer defiance.

 _Exactly what happened out here?_

Mark wanted to shout the words, to scream, to shake the little boy until he got a satisfactory response, but now wasn't the time. He desperately needed answers, real answers, not the ones that Jason and Keyop had cooked up that afternoon.

Understanding Jason's condition was critical, vital. Was this just a dumb accident? Or was it something more sinister? Jason's ankle was likely fractured. There was no doubt in Mark's mind that he had sustained a serious fall. But how?

 _Was Jason suicidal? Could he have jumped the cliffs?_ Mark wanted to dismiss the thought out of hand, but anything was possible.

 _And now … with a broken bone … it will be another six weeks – minimum – before Jason can be reinstated to the team. Damn._

Mark could barely tolerate the idea. An image of Dude – their temporary Rigan teammate - crossed his mind, adding to the pressure in his temples. The Chief had let it slip that Riga was pressuring Galaxy Security to develop their own version of G-Force, a subset of the Red Rangers to be known as R-Command. Dude was, according to the Chief, gunning for the commander position. But knowing why the guy was such a pain in the ass didn't make Mark's job any easier.

He pushed back the headache that was threatening to overtake his concentration. _Not now. I have work to do._

Mark forced his voice back into the calm, rational tone of the G-Force commander. "Okay," he said, facing Jason. "Let's get you to the hospital and check out that ankle. The Chief's waiting."

He nodded at Tiny and the two men moved as one to lift Jason, place him on the stretcher, and propel him up the track. Keyop trailed a good distance behind, head bowed, dragging Jason's backpack along by its straps.


	3. Chapter 3

It was another nightmare, another variant of the same dream that had kept Jason awake for countless nights since the accident. He knew it was a nightmare, but knowledge alone didn't help. Jason willed himself to move, to force his limbs into action. It was no use. His breathing remained slow and rhythmic.

 _I'm asleep_ , he thought _. I'm asleep and I can't wake up. I'm trapped inside my own body._

It was a horrifying realization. Jason tried to soothe himself using words, his only weapon.

 _It's just a dream_. _I can get myself out of this if I really want to._

He tried to force himself awake by mentally flinging his body to the floor. Jason could visualize his arms moving beneath his body, pushing his chest from the bed, but there was no resistance. He couldn't feel anything. He couldn't make his body move. Then his mind slipped and the world fell out of focus.

The cliff was steeper now, in his dreams. He could see Keyop far below, taunting him.

 _Come and get me, Jason! Come and get me!_

Keyop was running across the white sand toward the ocean, looking back at him and laughing. Jason watched in horror as a huge mecha arose from the ocean. Water poured from the giant crab as it clawed its way onto the beach. Metallic legs ripped gaping holes through the sand dunes. Shiny pinchers opened and closed in anticipation of the kill. Keyop was laughing, oblivious to the danger.

 _Keyop!_ Jason tried to yell. He tried to fly, but it was no use. He was frozen at the edge of the precipice. Jason couldn't feel his body. He couldn't move.

The mechanical crab drew closer. The larger of the two claws grabbed Keyop by the head and lifted him into the sky. Jason could read fear in the little boy's eyes as the claw began moving toward the crab's mouth. Keyop's laughing turned shrill and he began to scream.

 _Save me, Jason! Save me!_

 _Keyop!_ Jason could feel the sensation of flight, but it was nothing like flying in birdstyle.

 _I'm falling,_ he realized _. This is what it feels like to fall …_

* * *

Jason awoke to searing pain. Heart pounding, he found himself in a heap on the floor, clutching his ankle. He sat, stunned, as reality slowly formed around him.

It was a dream. _It was a dream, but I'm still living a nightmare._

He could hear Mark running down the hallway. "Jason! Are you all right?" Mark pounded on his door.

"Yeah. Just a minute." Jason rose and took a deep breath. _It was just a bad dream_ , he told himself. _I'm fine._

He limped to the door and released the lock. The door slid open to reveal Mark, his hair standing on end. The left half of his face bore a pillow crease.

"Are you all right? I thought I heard you fall." Jason noticed that Mark looked worried. He had seen this look of concern on his commander's face far too often lately.

"I'm fine."

When Mark's expression didn't change, Jason knew his words rang hollow.

"I, um, forgot about my ankle." He didn't realize how dumb it would sound until he heard the words out loud. Jason could feel his face growing warm.

Mark finally relaxed. He started to laugh as he patted Jason on the shoulder. "That must have been some dream you were having."

"It was." Jason pulled away from Mark and sat down on the bed. He could feel Mark's gaze on him.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

 _Do I ever want to talk about it?_ He noted with dismay that Mark was waiting patiently for an answer.

"Have you ever had one of those dreams where you think you're awake but you can't move?" Jason wrapped his arms around his left knee and propped his chin on top.

Mark looked thoughtful. "Not often, but I know what you're talking about. Sleep paralysis, I think it's called. The Chief and I talked about it once. It can be brought on by stress." He sat down next to Jason on the bed and studied him more closely. "Is that what happened to you tonight?"

 _I don't want to talk about it!_ Jason turned away from Mark's gaze and swallowed. "Yes," he admitted softly.

Mark shrugged. "It's not surprising. You've been under a lot of pressure lately."

"It's not that. I just…" Jason wished he could say the words out loud but he wasn't even sure where to start. _I just want things to go back to normal. I want to be the person I used to be. I don't know if I can do this._ He gave Mark a look of sheer despair.

Mark read the frustration, if not the message. His tone changed immediately and Jason recognized it as Mark's pep talk voice. "Things are going to be all right, Jason. Your ankle will heal in time for your fitness exam. You've already come through so much. The Chief told me your last physical went fine …"

 _Only because I downplayed my problems_ , Jason thought grimly. He shut his eyes. Jason realized that Mark hadn't noticed because he continued his speech unabated.

"… After your ankle heals, we'll resume training and things will be better than before. This time we'll finish off Zoltar once and for all!"

Jason knew that Mark was trying to sound triumphant, but the speech sounded tired and rehearsed. He opened his eyes to look at his teammate, but Mark's face was impassive.

 _Do you really believe that?_ Jason wanted to ask, but he was afraid of the answer. He tried to suppress the next thought, but it crept into his consciousness unbidden.

 _Because if you still believe in me, I can get through this. But if you don't … I don't know what I'm going to do._


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: When this was originally posted over at Gatchfanfic, this section was split into two chapters. I'm trying to consolidate as I port them over. It is so tempting to rewrite sections!

* * *

Jason sat on an uncomfortable wooden chair across from the Chief's desk and stared at the fish swimming by.

 _It always looks like the same school of fish_ , he thought. _I wonder if they all feel like we do. Trapped in here forever._

"Jason, are you listening to me?" The Chief was standing behind his desk, leaning across it with both arms. Jason noted the anger in his eyes and realized that lying was futile.

"Um, no, sorry." His voice was contrite, and the Chief quickly backed down.

"I was telling you that Galaxy Security agreed to postpone your fitness exam, but we can't postpone it indefinitely. Your recovery is going well. At my urging, the council has allotted another five weeks to give you time to train, but they weren't happy about it." The Chief paused, a worried expression crossing his face. "As your doctor, I am advising you to take it slowly with that ankle." The man frowned. "But as the Chief of Security, I am concerned that you won't be ready in time for your fitness test. Your teammates need you back in action."

The Chief eyed some papers on his desk, which Jason recognized as complaint forms. A stack of them, mostly in Keyop's uniquely slanted handwriting. "I don't know how much longer they can put up with Darien. You need to start training again as soon as possible. I suggest that you start with swimming and work up to more strenuous activities."

Jason nodded. _No surprise here_ , he thought to himself. _If I fail, so does the Chief. His reputation is on the line, same as mine._

Chief Anderson paced around his desk nervously. Jason wondered what was next.

"And Jason …" The older man sat down next to Jason on one of the hard-backed wooden office chairs and put a hand on his adopted son's shoulder.

"As your guardian, I'm worried about you." The Chief looked down at his hands. "I don't know what really happened out there on that beach and maybe I don't want to know."

Jason drew in a deep breath. Rumors were circulating. Too many people on the station lowered their eyes and whispered when he walked into the room. After badgering Princess, he'd finally heard several of the stories. Drunk driving accident. Drug overdose. A suicide attempt. The only reason that he hadn't bashed in some faces was that Princess had begged him not to. Repeatedly. When he furiously jumped on Mark instead, his commander had calmly informed him that the crazy stories were actually a good thing. It meant that less people knew about the potential vulnerabilities of their implants. Considering that Dr. Sanger, the shamed former Chief of Medical, had been a Spectran sympathizer, Jason had to admit that Mark had a point. He'd tolerate the rumors, but only to protect himself and his teammates. It wasn't easy.

And apparently, even the Chief was wondering about the suicide rumor, because Jason watched him swallow hard before continuing.

"I don't want to you to beat yourself up over this. Whether or not you pass the fitness exam has no bearing on how much … I love you." A look that passed for tenderness crossed the older man's face.

Jason turned away so the Chief couldn't see his eyes. The Chief also turned away and cleared his throat. Abruptly, the older man stood up and resumed speaking in his normal dry tone.

"That is all. You are dismissed." The Chief strode back to his desk and sat down, not pausing to look back as Jason hobbled out the door.

* * *

Mark called the meeting to order. "Okay, team. Here's our strategy. We've got about a month to get Jason in shape for his fitness exam. The Chief is meeting with him right now."

"Where do we come in, Mark?" Princess said.

"The Chief is concerned that Jason won't be prepared if he trains on his own. I want each of you to oversee part of Jason's training. The Chief wants us to make sure that Jason is exceptionally well prepared for this test." Mark looked around the table. "This doesn't leave this room, but rumor has it that there are some board members from Riga who want to ensure that their man stays on the team. They might go extra hard on Jason to make sure that we keep Dude." There were audible groans from Keyop and Tiny.

Mark gave them a stern look before continuing. "Jason needs to be prepared for anything Galaxy Security might hand him. I agree with the Chief. I think he's going to have a hard time training for this on his own. And he's sure not going to ask us for help."

"You can say that again," Tiny muttered.

Mark gave Tiny a sharp look. "To be fair, I don't think even Jason knows what his current physical capabilities are. The Chief has conducted another physical, but apart from his ankle, there's nothing obviously wrong with him. But we still don't know exactly what happened to cause that ankle injury."

Mark paused to give Keyop a stern look. The boy looked away.

"So he might have additional injuries that we aren't aware of or he could just have a confidence problem."

Mark looked at each of his teammates in turn as he spoke. "Your job is to make sure that Jason is as physically fit as possible in time for the exam. If Jason is having problems with something you're working on, even if it seems like something small, let me know. The more we understand the extent of his limitations, the more likely we are to solve them or route around them. Understood?"

Three heads nodded in unison.

"Good." Mark began to hand out assignments. "Princess, I want you in charge of tai chi. You can move into our standard kata when he's up for it. As soon as his ankle's up for it, add acrobatics and aerials."

Keyop looked at Mark. "Mark…like to…handle that."

Mark noted the serious expression on the boy's face. "All right, Keyop. Princess, why don't you cover swimming? The Chief said he could start immediately."

Princess smiled at both Mark and Keyop. "Done."

"Tiny, how about weight training?"

The large young man laughed. "No problem."

"And I will be coordinating all of your efforts and monitoring Jason's progress. Remember, the goal is to get Jason as functional as possible as soon as possible. We've been lucky so far that we've only had to fight one major battle without Jason. I'd rather not have to go out with Dude again." All four shuddered as they thought of their temporary G-2.

"Worse than Zoltar, " muttered Keyop. Tiny nodded his agreement.

Princess shook her head. "Honestly. He's not that bad."

She turned to look at her commander. "Does Jason know about this, Mark? I don't think he's going to like us interfering in his life."

"He doesn't have much choice, does he?" Mark's smile was grim. "That's a good point, Princess, and I wish I had a better plan." He looked at Tiny and Keyop. "Guys, any thoughts?"

Tiny shook his head. Keyop shrugged, then added, "Wish I knew."

"All right, team. Let's go find him."


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: When this was originally posted over at Gatchfanfic, this section was split into two chapters.

* * *

 _This has got to be the most humiliating thing that has ever happened to me._

Jason sat alone in the ready room poring over the training manual for the Level G Galaxy Security Fitness test. He couldn't remember the last time that he had taken the test seriously.

 _Was I twelve? Thirteen? Will I ever live this down?_

He grabbed another cookie from the snack tray. Apparently, 7-Zark-7 had been busy baking again.

Jason tried to break down the fitness requirements into categories. _Okay, there are things I know I can do, things I should be able to do, and stuff that's really going to take some work._

But he had no idea how to realistically assess his capabilities. _I've never had to worry about the things I can't do. I've always been able to do anything I wanted._

He sighed.

Just then, Tiny bounded into the room, closely followed by Keyop. Jason tried to hide the book, without success.

"Hey, whatcha studying?" Tiny asked good-naturedly.

"Tiny!" Keyop poked the heavyset young man in the ribs.

"Oh, sorry," Tiny said.

Jason glared at both of them. "Do you mind? I'm trying to read here."

"Touchy, touchy." Tiny sat down next to Jason, ignoring his protests. "When do you want to start lifting weights with me?"

Jason was clearly taken aback by the question. "Uh," he started to say, but Keyop interrupted him.

"Tai chi … with me."

Princess entered the room. "I'll be your swimming instructor."

"And I'll be overseeing your training." Mark smiled as he came in. "Think of me as your fitness coordinator."

Jason was overwhelmed. "I … I don't know what to say."

"Just say you'll do the best you can." Mark said. His look, Jason noticed, was one of encouragement.

"And that you will let us know when you need something." Princess added. Her tone almost concealed her concern.

"Or if … you're hurt." Keyop put in.

Jason gave the boy a hard look, but Keyop held his stare. _The kid's got guts_ , Jason thought. He nodded and Keyop rewarded him with a smile.

"Or if you mind sharing your cookies," Tiny said, reaching over to snatch one of the chocolate chip cookies from the plate.

"Tiny!" Mark and Princess said together. Jason and Keyop burst out laughing.

"Hey, I need to keep up my strength," the big man said, flexing a muscle with one arm and eating a cookie with the other.

"What, so you can eat more of my cookies?" said Jason, pulling the plate away. "No way!"

* * *

At their weekly progress meeting - conveniently timed to coincide with Jason's once-a-week health assessment from the Chief – Jason's three trainers updated Mark on his status. Four weeks into training, all three continued to report that things were going well.

"Jason can bench press almost as much as me!" Tiny chortled happily. "I never thought I'd say this, but I hope he beats my weight record."

Princess was also happy. "Stamina training is also going well. Yesterday, we ran up and down the stadium seating in the gym. Jason's timing has improved and he didn't trip once. I think he's almost fully recovered from that ankle injury."

Mark turned to Keyop. "How are aerials coming?"

Keyop didn't want to answer. For once, he was glad that his stutter gave him an excuse for giving short answers.

"Um … fine."

"Anything I need to know?" Mark cast a glance at Princess, who lowered her gaze.

Keyop watched the subtext and wondered exactly what they knew about Jason's on-going balance problems. He couldn't look Mark in the eye when he replied. "No … we're up to … Level 4."

"All right. Make sure you perfect those Level 4 aerials this week. Meeting adjourned."

"Same time, next week," Tiny laughed.

"No, Tiny," Princess reminded him. "Jason's fitness test is this Friday. We've got less than a week."

Keyop sighed as his watched his teammates exit the ready room.

 _We've got a lot of work to do_ , he thought.

* * *

Keyop strode down the halls of Center Neptune quickly, acting as if he actually had somewhere to go.

 _I hate lying to Mark_.

But he couldn't talk to his commander. _Not now. How can I tell him that I've been lying to him for the past month?_ Keyop shook his head. _Mark's been so busy with the Chief that he hasn't even noticed._ He turned a corner and narrowly missed bumping into a technician.

 _Not entirely a lie,_ Keyop rationalized. _Jason's doing great compared to where we started._

His pace increased as he weaved in and out of a group of graduate students. _Oh, who am I kidding? Is Jason ready for his fitness test? No way_.

It was so hard to watch Jason practice. Each time they worked on aerials, the mighty Condor fell again and again on jumps he had mastered years earlier, the same aerials he had taught to Keyop. And each time, he dusted himself off, set his jaw and tried again. He was working so hard, Keyop knew, but it just wasn't good enough.

 _He's never going to pass aerials. He's only landing one jump in four._

For better or worse, Jason tended to perform better on the rare occasions when Mark was actually watching. _Maybe that bodes well?_ Keyop thought, hopefully.

 _Probably not._ As the tears welled up, Keyop tried to turn his attention to something else, but he found he couldn't stop himself from obsessing. Jason's balance was improving, but each step in his recovery had been a slow, hard-won battle. Keyop and Jason often practiced late into the night, mainly to avoid their teammates.

For most of their activities, Jason actually was doing well. An outsider would never realize that he was in recovery. Jason's balance was fine as long as he had at least one foot on the floor. With intense concentration, he had even remastered their most difficult tai chi maneuvers and kata at speed.

But spinning with a kick was difficult. Jumps with spins were that much harder. Straight rotations through the air? Only with intense concentration.

 _And twisting in freefall?_ Keyop shook his head. _He can't do it. We haven't even worked on Level 4 aerials. If Jason can't land a simple twisting back flip, how will he ever pass the fitness exam?_

Keyop took a deep breath. _Okay_ , _this isn't helping. I have to focus on what Jason can do now. No point in remembering the past._

He entered the ready room and pulled the Level G fitness exam manual from the bookshelf. Had anyone cared to look, they would have noticed that the aerials section was dog-eared. There were lines of numbers down both margins where Keyop had added and re-added points values for different jumps. As the day of Jason's fitness exam loomed closer, Keyop and Jason pored over the manual any time the room was free, looking for some way that Jason might possibly pass this key required element.

Keyop thought about the Condor's current strengths. Jason could finally land basic acrobatic maneuvers like front and back flips with some reliability. They might, just might, be able to squeak through the review board with a series of triple back flips. It was one of the few qualifying elements that didn't add additional twisting or turning. For some reason, moving through the air sideways triggered Jason's nausea far more than being upside-down.

The degree of difficulty for the triple back flip was so low that the Condor's landings would have to be perfect. Perfect didn't exist for Jason yet.

Keyop slammed the book shut. _Back to the gym_ , he thought, and went in search of his trainee.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note: When this was originally posted over at Gatchfanfic, this section was split into two chapters.

* * *

The Chief was as close to anger without losing control as Mark had ever seen. The veins in his forehead were bulging in his bright red face.

"Jason, Keyop, follow me. Now!"

The Chief turned on his heel and stalked out of the gymnasium without a further word to the assembled Galaxy Security brass. Keyop followed meekly at the Chief's heels. Jason tailed after, head bowed. Mark could read a mixture of both pride and shame in his second's posture. It was an interesting combination.

"Mark." Princess was standing at his elbow. "Do you think we should follow?"

He nodded. "We need to hear this from Jason." _Why didn't Jason just talk to me? I know we could have avoided this mess_.

Tiny turned to him and said, "Mark, I feel so bad. I had no idea that he was still hurt."

Mark shook his head. "I don't think he's hurt, exactly, Tiny. Just recovering." Mark sighed. "It's going to take a lot longer than any of us realized." He looked down the hall and found that Keyop and Jason were no longer in sight. "Come on, we'd better go find them."

It wasn't hard to find the Chief. They could hear him yelling halfway down the corridor from his office.

"…in the hell were you trying to prove out there? If aerial maneuvers are that difficult for you… " There was a pause, then, in a louder voice, "… so hard that you can't perform them without Keyop counting your timing for you …" The Chief's voice was nearly a shout now. "…did it ever occur to you that attempting them in front of your direct superiors when you weren't ready just might be …" Mark could almost see the veins bulging on the Chief's forehead, "…a VERY BAD IDEA!"

He didn't hear Jason's reply. But Mark could definitely hear the Chief's.

"You most certainly did have a choice, Jason! You could have talked to me first. You could have talked to Mark. You should have told someone that you weren't ready. We would have worked something out."

Jason mumbled something back and the Chief's voice dropped slightly.

"You're right, you did pass the exam. But just barely. The Rigans are still contesting your score for aerials. Having Keyop talk you through the jumps could be a violation of procedure. And you were flying with your eyes closed! That certainly makes it look like you're ready for combat. You're damn lucky you didn't land on President Kane's head!"

Mark stifled a grin. More murmuring from Jason.

"I understand that you passed the exam, Jason, but I'm damn near ready to pull you from the team anyway. If you ever pull a stunt like this again …"

 _And on and on,_ thought Mark. It was as good a time as any to enter.

He rapped lightly at the door. "Chief?"

Mark could hear the Chief's desk chair scrape against the floor before he opened the door. The Chief cleared his throat and admitted Tiny, Princess, and Mark.

"Come." His voice was barely audible.

 _He sounds as tense as Jason_ , thought Mark. _This should be fun_.

The Chief indicated the wooden desk chairs. Keyop was curled in a fetal position on one. Jason sat sideways in another, staring at his hands. The remaining three chairs were empty.

"I was just explaining to Jason," the Chief said as he sat down, pausing briefly to give Jason another stern look, "that he is not in charge of Galaxy Security." The Chief folded his hands on his desk and stared at Jason. "You are on suspension."

The five members of G-Force gaped openly at the Chief.

"What?!" cried Jason, standing up. His face burned bright with anger, but Mark could see the deeper fury boiling just beneath the surface. "You're crazy. I just went out there and damn near broke my neck …"

The Chief held up a hand. "You are on suspension until you give me and your teammates the courtesy," he gestured to the others with a sweep of his hand, "of an accurate and complete account of your current physical condition. That means everything. Not just the things you feel like telling us."

The Chief paused for effect. "In addition," he continued, "you will endure the most complete and arduous physical that I have ever created."

 _Another dramatic pause_ , thought Mark. _The Chief's milking this for all it's worth. But I don't think Jason can take much more._ His second was growing visibly angrier and was now gripping the edge of the Chief's desk so hard that his knuckles were white. His scowl spoke volumes.

"And, not that I should have to remind you," the Chief went on, "but this is your commanding officer." The Chief thrust a finger at Mark. "You are to report to him if you so much as have a painful thought." Chief Anderson glared at Jason. "Do you understand me?"

"Yes, sir." Jason's voice was barely under control. He sat down, arms crossed, legs crossed, fury written in every line of his posture.

"Good. I suggest that you begin talking now." The Chief reached into his desk and pulled out a notepad and a pen. "You can start with your obvious balance problem and we'll go on from there."

Jason stiffened so rigidly in his chair that he didn't appear to be breathing.

 _I can't remember the last time I saw that look on his face_ , Mark thought. _Maybe the night at the cliffs. Damn._ He closed his eyes. _Please don't let it be anything awful._

Mark could hear Jason swallow before he spoke.

"Do I have to do this now?" Jason's voice had risen an octave.

"Suit yourself," said the Chief. Mark opened his eyes to find the Chief with his hand on the phone. "I'll just let Darien know that we need him …"

"All right! Fine!" Jason's normal voice had returned with a vengeance and it sounded both angry and hostile. "I'll do it. But not now. Give me some time to think and …" Jason swallowed again. "I'll write you up something. Okay?"

 _He can't say it out loud_ , Mark realized. _This is like watching a slow-moving train wreck. Why can't the Chief see that? Jason can't admit his problems out loud. He never could and he never will._

"No, Jason." The Chief's voice was deadly calm. "That's not how this is going to work. If you want to stay on this team, you will abide by my rules. And my first rule is honesty. It has to start now. No more games."

Mark found that he couldn't fault the Chief's logic. None of this would have happened if Jason had just been honest.

 _But the Chief's tactics?_ thought Mark. _This is never going to work._

"Okay." Jason said. His voice sounded so small.

* * *

 _I have died and gone to hell._

Jason shut his eyes. He knew what he would see if he looked around the room. Tiny was embarrassed _. Good old Tiny._ Princess would be wearing her concerned expression. Keyop, he knew, was absolutely miserable.

And Mark? _He's so smug,_ Jason thought angrily. _And there's not a damn thing I can do about it. He's right. I brought this on myself._

"Jason?" The Chief looked over the top of his glasses at him. Now that he had Jason's compliance, his voice was irritatingly calm. Jason noticed that he spoke with a trace of trepidation. "Would it be easier if I asked you some questions?"

"Sure." Jason tried to keep his voice level. He couldn't look at the Chief's face.

"Chief," Mark interrupted. "Can I speak with you? Now? Privately?" Jason noticed his tone held the edge of command, but the Chief didn't seem to take offense.

"All right," Chief Anderson said. To the others, he added, "Excuse us a moment." The Chief followed Mark out the door. The resulting silence was deafening.

"Jason?" Keyop ventured. "I'm … uh … um … sorry."

 _I can't take this. Not now._ "Let it go, Keyop."

"But …"

Jason threw up a hand. "Not now!" He could barely control his anger and frustration. _Keyop is sorry? I should be apologizing to him._

The Chief returned, with Mark following close behind. The Chief looked at Jason and cleared his throat. "Mark has suggested that he take the preliminary report on your physical condition, Jason. I concur with his decision. He will provide a briefing on your current status to your teammates and me. After I review his notes, I will work with Zark to design your physical."

 _Great_ , Jason thought, sarcastically. _This day just keeps getting better and better._

"And Jason," the Chief gave him a hard look, "it is up to Mark to decide where to place you on this team. His decision will be based, in part, on whether or not you comply honestly with this request."

Again, the Chief paused for effect. "Any continued deception about your physical condition is categorically unacceptable. As your commander, Mark has to know exactly what your physical limitations are."

Chief Anderson cleared his throat before continuing. "After reviewing your physical status, Mark alone will decide whether to leave you in reserve status as the G-6 or allow you to retain your position as the G-2."

Princess gasped along with Tiny and Keyop. Mark looked away from Jason. Jason closed his eyes and tried not to show any emotion, but it was hard. Very hard.

 _Leave me in reserve status?_ He swallowed, painfully.

"You are dismissed."

* * *

This story continues in _Revelations (Fall and Rise of the Condor 4)._


End file.
